In order to succeed, sometimes you stand alone.

Merrill vas Kirkwall [This is a Dragon Age modern AU roleplay blog, set in Kirkwall 2013. Part of the City of Chains universe.]

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Elgar Shiral [Merrill & Feynriel]

[sandintheireyes]

Feynriel’s eyes widened for a moment and he chewed at his lip as he took in what she was saying about her ‘Elgarlin’ magic and what it could do.  Some of that sounded… disturbing.  “Why… why would you want to do that, though?  Do you get into a lot of fights?” he asked with a slight frown, in response to her explanation of turning opponents against one another.  “That sounds… really gruesome.”

It sounded, honestly, more like the popular caricature of blood magic, but he wasn’t going to say that.  For all his own powers were rarer, they were just as feared, by many who knew of them.  And there were a lot of similarly… unpleasant things he could theoretically do, though he hadn’t actually done any of them.  It sounded like she had, and that mental image was difficult to reconcile with the apparent gentility of the elf before him.

“Yes, I paint,” he said with a reserved smile a bit later, glad to be on a friendlier topic.  “Though I’m not… quite sure I can show you what I mean, but I can try to put it a different way.  Everything’s more real-seeming in the Fade, in some ways.  It’s bigger, brighter.  But it doesn’t last.  It’s like the… intensity makes it unstable, almost.  If you nudge it just a bit, it changes.  In the waking world, everything’s a bit more dull and flat, but it’s very stable.”

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Her eyes drifted down to her fidgeting hands when he said the word gruesome.  She had never really thought of her new found magic that way, but in truth it was.  “No, a lot of what I learned came from a man that had a lot of personal issues that drove him mentally unwell.  Though, in the end he did do the right thing.  To be honest, I usually only use the magic in self-defense, but when in charge of defense of a clan, there are many things you must be prepared for.  Shems did not always leave us be even with the treaties that are in place.”

After a brief pause, she added, “You’d be surprised what you are capable of when your life and those of your loved ones come into play.  I think the worst I’ve done is turn Tal’vashoth against one another, but again it was in my defense as I was fleeing for my life.  There are no lasting side effects of the magical intrusion that I’m aware of.  But, to be honest, I’ve not waited around to ask anyone that has been under the effects for fear that they might try and kill me again.”  She shook her head and let the topic fall to the wayside hoping that her explanations were not taken the wrong way.

It was time for her to sit and listen to his description of painting in correlation with the fade and the waking world.  It definitely wasn’t something that she believed she would ever be able to have any control over, but the image that he was portraying was a bit clearer.  Just looking at the fire or the trees that surrounded them was like looking at something from a faery picture book that one of the elders and created for the younger Dalish.  They didn’t seem very natural, they looked much too bright and far too – changeable.  “I think I understand, at least partially.  Is it easy to find someone again once you’ve been in their dreams once?  Is there some sort of mark you sense?  Like you can almost tell from the essence of a spell who cast it if you are familiar with that person?”

It was an intriguing line of questioning that had just popped into her head, but she wasn’t sure that he wanted to travel the path of explaining his abilities further.  They had been at it for a while now and there was no telling how much longer either of them would be asleep and thus in the fade.  Even still, she wanted to be able to find him again – or at least he find her.  Surely he knew of a way.

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Searching for Arla [Merrill & Swiftrunner]

[the-heart-of-the-beast]

Dastan winced when the tone of her voice became even more rife with wounded exhaustion, the very breath within which she thanked him —called him a good man— shared with assurances that she’d be out of his hair as soon as possible. He owed her nothing. On a rational level he knew this. But would a good man send her out on her own after all that she’d suffered knowing that she’d done nothing directly to affront him beyond simple trespassing when first they’d met?

With a sigh he retrieved the dish towel from beside the sink, the worn fabric still damp from the morning’s dishes, and crossed to where she was sitting. “Ain’t no use in ya goin’ out til ya gotta place’ta go.” He grumbled, crouching down to wipe up the mess. “S’houses ‘round here ain’t got nobody livin’ in’em. Ain’t been nobody livin’ in’em since I got here. Ain’t likely anybody’s comin’ back’ta claim’em after all this time.”

Golden eyes flicked up to hers as he stood, returning to the kitchen with the now even more saturated towel in his hand. “We’ll look at’em tomorrow. Find one suits ya. Tonight ya can stay here. Jus’ stop ruinin’ ma’furniture would’ja?”

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Merrill felt dazed and confused.  She had assumed that she’d be living out in the forests or at one of her campsites – the thought never even crossed her mind that there were other places like this where she, an elf, could live.  Albeit slightly out of character for someone who was usually very animated, she simply stared at the far wall taking in what he had just said; her mouth opening and closing slowly like a fish without any words coming out.

The jeering tone from his last remark nearly snapped her back into the realm of awareness again.  Her eyes connected with his golden hues and she simply stared at them for a long moment still lost in confusion at how the topic had switched so rapidly from her having nowhere to go to him offering to help find her a place, much less a place that was near him.  Perhaps he was even a better man than either of them knew.

Lifting the empty mug to her lips, she started to take another drink glancing down only after nothing seemed to be forthcoming from the rim.  Her voice finally coming back to her, “Ma serannas.  I will attempt to be less clumsy though I make no promises in my current state.  Perhaps I should sleep outside so I don’t make a mess of things in here?”  Her brows raised with a soft sigh as she slipped off the couch and crossed to the kitchen placing the barren mug on the counter and looking towards the door.

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Treacherous Piques [Merrill & Elissa]

[elissaromildecousland]

Elissa shook her head and snorted. “I’m no one special. At least not to the extent that I have a destiny written somewhere in the stars. But if telling my story can help other people avoid the same pitfalls then feel free to pen the tale.”

She picked up one of the pastries and chomped off a bite chewing it as she thoughtfully considered Merrill’s final question. “I feel… I don’t know. Relieved? Maybe?” She shrugged and leaned back on her elbows, “I’m not sure if this is the sort of thing I can feel better about. Not fully. But I’m making progress. I think. I don’t want to slash my wrists anymore, or swallow a bunch of pills. I guess that’s something.”

She attempted a smile in the other woman’s direction, hoping it was convincing enough to relay that she truly was no more upset than she had been prior to their discussion. “We shouldn’t waste any more of our beautiful day outside the city on such a dismal discussion. Or on the subject of me. How have you been doing, Merrill? Is the city treating you any better than it was when last we spoke?”

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

“Most people that are sang about from tales of old didn’t believe their antics believed the same thing as you.  They were no one special; they’ve simply done what they had to do to survive.  You’d be surprised how many people might respect or look up to someone that can do that.”  She pointed her half eaten pastry at her friend while looking completely in the other direction nearly spewing the filling out all over her shirt.

She turned her head just in time to see a big glob from the treat flop down barely missing her friend and landing on the cloth that Elissa had laid down beforehand.  “Abelas,” she sheepishly murmured with a slight red tinge to her cheeks.  “I nearly coated you with raspberries.”  She shook her head at herself remembering a time when she had in fact not been quite so lucky with Tamlen.

“The city is as it has been.  Nothing has changed in that respect.  Though, I have had more reasons to wander about lately for research and discovery purposes.  Mostly, the Alienage still feels unsafe, and I have trouble sleeping while I’m there.  Not that I couldn’t handle myself, but if I did there’s a lot of elves that would like to make their lives a little easier by outing someone like me to the Templars.  Limited protection from the clan only goes so far when I’ve got a limited association with them.”  She sighed softly knowing that Marethari would support her should the situation arise, but not wishing to have to go that far.

Her head turned back to where the wolf had disappeared when they first arrived.  “I do feel safer outside the walls than I do inside them.  But, maybe one day I’ll not feel that way.  I have to hope so if I’m ever to fit in amongst the locals.”  Her shoulders heaved up in a breath and then shrugged down with a sigh.  “A part of me will always want to be outside in the forests though.  I just don’t want to do it alone.  When you’ve lived all your life with a clan, solitude eats away at you.”

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Friends in Low Places [Merrill & Anders]

[absolutioninflame]

"I use a modified arcane shield, but a basic spell shield would also work. It depends on which school is most comfortable for you. It merely works as a dampener for your Fade-signature. Makes you harder to track for those who are sensitive to such things —mages, templar and demons alike." Anders nodded, watching to see if she was following his explanation at all. "I can explain it further but it would help to hear whether or not you have any experience or if your comfort level is acceptable for either of these schools."

He sat patiently and waited. Even if Merrill’s comfort level with the Spirit and Arcane schools was minimal, Anders could tell from the simple reading of her signature that she could easily adapt to anything she put her mind to assimilating into her routine. Regardless what she chose their work ahead would not be overly difficult and he had hope that by the time she left for the day she would be far more difficult to detect than she had been upon arrival.

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

She tilted her head in thought as he explained what he was attempting to teach her.  Teaching from being shown was never her strong suit, she had always been more of a self-learner; give her a book and an explanation and she would eventually work out how to solve the problem.  Hence, the solution of Elgarlin magic to compensate for her lack of creation arts – and a bit of other things to boot.  Even still, there was something to be said for being shown how something works, and if anyone could, this man seemed quite knowledgeable.

“I’ve dabbled in both, but neither are strong suits.  I tend to work best with primal or keeper, entropy, or force magiks.  But, as a First, I was able to learn from a multitude of sources, mainly books on many different aspects of the magic I have.  I think I am slightly stronger in the arcane realm of the two.”  She looked off to the side remembering all those teachings that she had read about pertaining to those arts.

“I do think explaining it further would help, but if it’s any consolation I’ve never had a problem from mages, Templars, or demons being attracted to me.”  Testing the wall with the palm of her hand first to make sure it wasn’t going to fall away even with her small amount of weight, she decided to lean against the wall while looking nearly eye to eye with the man seated in his chair.  It made her curious to know how one so tall was able to hide from anyone.

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Meditations upon the Elgarlin [Velanna & Merrill]

[keeper-gone-rogue]

"Do not worry, lethallan. I’m sure I can find a way to help you learn." Velanna said with a soft smile. The time the two had spent together had given her an insight into how Merrill’s mind worked. She was sure that she could find a way to help her friend learn the secrets of creation magic.

She watched intently as Merrill demonstrated how the Vallaslin magic worked. At first it seemed like nothing was happening, but then slowly the lines on Merrill’s face began to glow bright red. Velanna gasped slightly as her friend’s eyes opened to reveal bright red irises. The effect was somewhat unnerving, but she could also feel the power radiating off of the other elf. She was impressed.

Once Merrill had released the power and returned mostly to normal, it was Velanna’s turn to try. She gave Merrill a small nod to acknowledge that she had heard her, then closed her eyes and focused on connecting the links of her former clan. It took her several moments to remember every link, but finally she was able to bring them all to mind. Then she wove them together as best she could, taking care to connect them in just the right order.

After holding the connection for a moment, she carefully opened her eyes, making sure to not break her focus. “Is anything happening?”

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

It was good to see that Velanna was taking the education so seriously and that she was so eager to try the next portion of the new magic that had taken Merrill literally months to discover on her own with the old passages of her books.  She always knew that with a good teacher you could definitely learn things faster.  So, when Velanna’s markings started to glow lightly, she was impressed even though that light quickly faded.

“It looks like you made the connection and then lost concentration, or perhaps you weren’t sure about one link in your mind.  Just know and be certain about your heritage.  You’ll feel it inside you.  Your blood will almost feel alive, your vision will redden, and your markings will tingle almost to the point of itching.  Then, you should be able to use your magic without the use of lyrium.”

For a first attempt, Velanna had done very well, but to truly learn to manipulate the magic was inevitably going to take time and practice as most magic did.  “I’m not expecting much, but you will get better.  The fact that I saw your markings turn color was amazing for a first go.  Try again, but don’t be disappointed if you can’t actually do anything yet.  It took me months.”  An encouraging smile was plastered on her lips as she urged her to try again, or keep trying as the case might be.

“If you need a break, there are more berries and tea to replenish your energy as well.”  She blurted out as an afterthought even though they had just taken a short break an hour or so before.

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Treacherous Piques [Merrill & Elissa]

[elissaromildecousland]

"I know, Merrill." Elissa smiled softly and reached over to squeeze the elf’s hand. "You’ve been wonderful, as always. The only pressure I feel is the pressure I place on my own shoulders. Rest assured it’s nothing you’ve done or will do."

She nodded and cleared her throat. “My family was murdered almost seven years ago. The anniversary is in Drakonis of next year. I was in Orlais at the time. I went attended university there and just… didn’t come back even after graduation. I was attempting to put off the progression of a life I didn’t want by staying away.”

Her expression shifted again, shame tinting the edges of her smile. “I was out with some friends when the Chevalier showed up to retrieve me. Because their deaths were so high-profile there was concern that I was a target as well. They took me back to Ferelden where I identified their bodies, or what was left of them, and set about seeing them put to rest. My brother was listed as missing and presumed dead. Everything… everyone I knew was gone.”

"The night I had to scrub my father’s blood off the basement floor was just, it was more than I could take. I ended up slitting my wrists in the upstairs bath, and when I failed at even that, I came here." She looked up finally. "Been running ever since."

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Her expression shifted through several emotions during the telling of the story as her heart went out to the woman sitting beside her.  Though, by some miracle, she managed to stay quiet through the entire telling of the story without uttering a single word; mostly by holding a hand over her mouth.  As the last few words rolled off her companions tongue as nonchalantly as if she had been talking about how her day had gone, she finally allowed herself to release a breath in the form of a long sigh.

“Lethallan…”

The words she sought and used so often had abandoned her, though she was able to think of a song that she would sit down and write later to tell the tale and convey her own emotions alongside it.  Instead, she reached out her hands and covered Elissa’s, a somber pair of hazel eyes searching the emerald ones.  She felt no pity for her friend, nor did she feel that the pain and tragedy that garnished her past was all for nothing.  Presence, spirit, and personality would be completely different of the person sitting opposite her should the events not have taken place.

The words she found were simple.

“You have grown stronger and your spirit has become more beautiful due to the torments of your past.  I would not wish to take them from you, but perhaps to ease the pain that remains draped about your shoulders.”  Merrill retracted her hand gently and sent a somber and small smile in Elissa’s direction.  “To have survived such events, even those which would be self-inflicted, means that there must be a destiny far greater than you even know ahead of you.  Should you ever need…” what was it the shemlen always said at the end of that sentence? – “every… erm… no that’s not right.  Anything.”  She was sure that there was something else that went along with that, but she needn’t say it.

“I will write the words you spoke into a melody if you allow it.  Let me share your story to others to lighten your burden.  Let me tell of the strong person you have become.”  Sometimes songs wrote themselves to Merrill, but this one would need permission and time to perfect.  “Do you feel any better?”  It seemed like a strange question to ask as the air felt lighter and less tense than it had a moment before, but it was hard to tell from the expression that still shrouded Elissa’s true face.

[liratabris-deactivated20140702]

Songs of Old [Merrill & Lira]

[liratabris-deactivated20140702]

"I really enjoyed the story," she said, circling the tip of her bottle with her thumb. "It reminded me of the old Elvhen tales my mother used to tell me." She didn’t know much about the Dalish, so she couldn’t really say much about the song’s story, other than it was a beautiful piece. But being a fan of old music and art, she was utterly astounded by the woman’s performance. It has been a while since she listened to a song that wasn’t about…..inappropriate things (she was completely used to it though, so she wasn’t very bothered by those kinds of songs). All she could do was smile and chuckle along with her comrades, whenever she heard one in a bar somewhere in town.

"I just arrived, actually. I needed a drink, so I came here. I’m currently renting an apartment in the alienage." she said, sighing. "I’m also looking for jobs with good pay, which is quite hard." Maybe she could live off being a mercenary, or an assassin, putting to use her knowledge of martial arts or her skill for using a sniper rifle. Or maybe she could just serve in a simple coffee shop as a barista, serving people everyday with a fake smile plastered on her face.

"Anyway, I’m being rude. I haven’t asked for your name. My name is Lira. What’s yours?" she asked politely, giving a small smile. She just realized that she probably talked the other woman’s ear off, and spaced out a couple of times. Realizing that, she blushed a little. She wasn’t used to having long conversations due to her poor conversational skills and her extreme awkwardness. 

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

“Work is especially difficult for us working in the alienage.  The people of this city are not overly interested in us except when we try to take their jobs that they believe they’re more entitled to have than us as we’re a ‘second class citizen’” She made quotations in the air with a slight roll of her eyes knowing that the din in the bar was too loud for anyone to actually be listening in on or care about their conversation.  Granted, a part of her didn’t really seem to care whether someone was or not.

“I’m Merrill, and don’t apologize.  I am the worst when it comes to actually telling someone my name.  As a once first, everyone already knew who I was, so there was no need to introduce myself to anyone really.”  Her face shifted into a twinge of sadness which in turn, turned the ambient notes she was strumming into something a touch sad, almost sour.  “I’m allowed to play here when there isn’t any other music or entertainment, but the pay is abysmal, as in whatever tips I receive.  I only do it because I like to play.”

The slight blush caught her eyes which caused her to crinkle up her nose and blink a few times in confusion.  “Did I say something to embarrass you?”  It really wasn’t all that hard to imagine as Merrill tended to say whatever came to mind when she wasn’t really thinking about it, so it was probable that she’d already offended her new found would-be friend.

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Treacherous Piques [Merrill & Elissa]

[elissaromildecousland]

Elissa sat and listened, eyes closed, as Merrill took her on a journey through the story of what had brought her to be a resident of the Alienage in the City of Chains. Her own emotions danced along through her joys and elations, seized up in fear when the darkness came, and ebbed over into broken sadness at the end. A broken sadness that seemed to mimic her own.

Her eyes opened just in time to see the tear that skated down the other woman’s cheek, to which she offered a small but understanding smile. “I can’t come anywhere close to offering you anything that beautiful in exchange. I could have danced to it, but it’s been years since I tried to do anything like that. I could show you my sketchbooks to tell the story, but the older ones are… hidden away back at my apartment.”

A moment’s pause and then. “Have I told you anything about my family? Or where I come from, other than Fereldan?”

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Merrill took a minute to think back on all of their previous conversations.  They always seemed to skirt around the serious things, but they did brush on them from time to time.  It was always that sad, far off look that Elissa had whenever things that hurt her were mentioned that made Merrill try to turn the conversation down another side path.  It wasn’t hard as it seemed that Elissa was ready to run down any path of conversation other than that and was much happier in doing so.  That’s all Merrill really wanted for her, a friend that was happy and more importantly happy to be around her.

“I recall several small snippets of information from various conversations.  Your family consisted of a mother, father and brother; you followed an old religion that centered around trees; and more recently, you’ve told me that they were all murdered.”  She ticked off the things she knew on her fingers and then looked over at the woman sitting across from her.  “That’s all I remember.”

Her head tilted to the side thoughtfully for a moment as she watched her friend patiently eyes almost looking through her as opposed to at her.  The small crackling of the fire behind them was soothing and the chirrup of birds had their own natural beauty within the music that they sang.  “Lethallan, do not feel pressured to tell me anything.  This is for your benefit, not to make you feel uncomfortable.  As little or as much as you want.”

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

gluttony, envy

Envy:

Merrill often times finds herself envying those that can get along on their own without assistance from other people.  Until she found Mahariel once again, she was reliant upon the clan to give her dried foods or buy them from the vendors in town whenever she had the coin.  This has led her to learn the art of fishing, but she's still not very good at it.  Her studies have led her to seek other avenues of training, potentially of the magical sort in order to be more self sufficient.

Gluttony:

Merrill has always enjoyed mint flavoring, but upon her food discovery of Kirkwall, she's found that she can't get enough peppermint.  Peppermint ice cream with chocolate flakes, peppermint candies, candy canes flavored with peppermint, and she's even gone so far as to get peppermint flakes that she can add to foods that she doesn't care for to make them taste better.  Whenever there is the option, she tries to find and partake in new and different peppermint delights.

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Sloth, gluttony, wrath.

Sloth:

Merrill sometimes expends her magic just to get around easier especially in the woods or outside of the city.  It is simply easier to connect with the earth and move about either through it or by making it move beneath her as only a Keeper or one trained in the Keeper arts can.

Gluttony:

Merrill loves mushrooms.  When venison stew was made, she would often times fish around in the pot until she had accumulated most of the mushrooms in her bowl with a line of people behind her waiting to get food.  Sometimes when she was assigned to gathering them in the first place, she'd make it back to the encampment empty handed simply because she'd eat all those that she picked on her way back.  The gatherers simply thought she had been sidetracked and never made it out into the woods to pick them.

Wrath:

Merrill tends to get in trouble with her magicks when she's angry as she doesn't hide them very well and they tend to just happen with the explosion of emotion as they tend to come with her music.  It is very rare that Merrill becomes so angry that she absently uses it though, but it is not unheardof.  One reason the hunters of the clan were upset with her was due to an argument whereupon one of them accused her of wrong doings she hadn't done and wouldn't listen to her.  He ended up nearly biting off his own tongue by the end of it.  Merrill felt terrible for it, and hasn't let her anger get the better of her since.

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

7 Deadly Sin Headcanons

Lust: a headcanon about your character's romantic and/or sexual life

Greed: a headcanon about something your character hordes or collects

Sloth: a headcanon about something your character hates to do or simply hates in general

Pride: a headcanon about something your character is a bit cocky about

Gluttony: a headcanon about food or obsessions

Wrath: a headcanon about your character and their anger management

Envy: a headcanon about your character's secret desires and jealousies

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Treacherous Piques [Merrill & Elissa]

[elissaromildecousland]

Elissa’s attention lifted from raspberry creme revelry with Merrill’s words, which she considered thoughtfully for a moment before responding. “I’d never really thought of it that way, but perhaps you’re right. Burying it away has certainly not done me any favors over the years since the massacre occurred. Maybe it’s time to air it all out.”

Still, she remained silent, not entirely sure where to begin. Not entirely sure how. She glanced at the elf sitting beside her and smiled, “I’m sorry I really don’t know where to even begin. I haven’t spoken of it in so long it really is far more daunting than I’d imagined. I realize that sounds terribly silly, but it’s nonetheless true.”

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

She could sense that there was a piece of Elissa reaching out wanting to spill her story upon the air and have it dance on the wind to be carried away and lighten her load, but there was something blocking it.  Fear, uncertainty, loss, all powerful enemies when holding something inside.

The only thing she could think of to do to help was to tell her own story, and for that she was going to need her lyre case.  Stepping over to where she had started the fire, she pulled the case from beside the log where she had left it and retrieve the instrument from it.  Wiping her hands upon her clothes to make certain she wasn’t about to get pastry all over the strings, she began to warm up with a few running arpeggios.

“Perhaps if I tell my story, you’ll find a starting place.  Sometimes it is best to start in the beginning even if it will take a lot of time to get to the present.”  Words would not suit her needs in this story though, so she began the tale with a slow and steady beat.

A gentle harmony of chords echoed the pitter-patter of feet as she was taken from her original clan to the Sabrae clan, a gift as there had been too many magically inclined from her old and not enough in her new.  Her fingers spread apart adding in a flowing melody and a counter melody symbolizing the commanding and protective childhood friend and the hunter that never seemed to leave either of their side.  A rolling melody of adventure and training took off from her fingertips spilling a plethora of happiness that caused the side of her lips to upturn from the memories of gallivanting in the woods with her two best friends.

A shy undercurrent ran through the countermelody that roused a red tint to her cheeks as she sought to engage with Tamlen, always running away before she ever got the chance to ask him to be more than just her friend.  Each time the shy undercurrent ran through, it got closer and closer to the melody, but always retreated until the countermelody fell away.  The tragedy had taken not only him, but Keita as well in the end.  The melody waned in turn leaving the simple chords that represented her turning into their minor state leaving a sense of unease and sadness hanging about the little campsite.

A few beats of silence followed by harsh notes denoted the launch of the tide of darkspawn; a fast paced rhythm striking up with a racing beat and two fast pitched chords echoing one another denoting the travel from Fereldan to where they came to rest at the coast.  The music shifting to something of an airy theme with the flap of birds wings and the swish of the water lapping at the base of the boat.  Until it shifted once again to a grandiose theme representing the mountain upon which they were now sitting for their picnic.

As the theme came to an end, it left a lonely empty wandering theme behind in its wake.  A lost, solemn set of notes indicating one soul, one body.  The notes slowly came to a crawling halt on an estranged note in the key that she had been playing leaving the piece feeling unsettled and incomplete.

“I don’t know if that told you much.”  She uttered a stray tear running down her cheek.  “But, that is my story from as near the beginning as I care to remember.”  The musical changes had sped the telling of it, and the details were lost, but the emotion and the feelings were all that she wanted to convey.  “If you wish, I could tell you a bit of the story itself so that you’re not going blind through the notes, but as you say, it’s hard to know where to start except from the beginning.”  A sad smile was offered to her friend as she picked up another treat that had been laid upon the blanket for them to share, savoring the friendship of the moment as well as the delicacy.

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Friends in Low Places [Merrill & Anders]

[absolutioninflame]

Anders chuckled and nodded, her description of how she most often wielded her abilities sounding incredibly familiar to me. “I lean toward defensive magic myself. I don’t see much reason in harming someone when I can protect myself and disarm or immobilize them —in most cases. That isn’t to say I’m not capable of biting back.” He smirked and popped a large fireball to life in his hand, momentarily allowing it to peak, then snuffing it out as quickly as he’d summoned it. “But I prefer a softer touch. All life has a purpose, a place in this world, even those I do not ally myself with naturally.”

"But you did not come here to hear my theories about the way the world should work." He paused and cleared his throat when she mentioned catching something in the corner’s of her eye, Justice flaring briefly within him at the comment —though more in curiosity than retaliation. "We all have secrets, do we not? Mine is a life hard lived, much of which has been spent running either from the Templar or the Wardens. Perhaps that is what you see. Regardless, I mean you no harm, and have every intention of helping if you will allow me."

"Darktown is, in my opinion, no more or less safe than anywhere else in the city, though I’m certain most would disagree. Then again, my place among these people is vastly different from some random Hightown Lawyer’s, so perhaps my view on things is unfairly shaded by what I know." He laughed, smiling at Merrill. "I don’t walk around up in Hightown in broad daylight very often, I can tell you that. I don’t leave the clinic or Darktown with any regularity in general. Down here I’m as close to safe as I am ever likely to be outside of the Imperium, so long as the world works the way it does."

He looked thoughtful for a moment, his eyes scanning the flow of energy through Merrill’s body and searching for the best way to mute it effectively until he could teach her to build the proper barriers for herself. “How much do you know of shielding magicks? You’ll have to forgive me. I have known a few Keeper’s in my time, but my knowledge of Dalish training regimens is a bit rusty from lack of recent exposure.”

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When he lit the fireball to life in his hand, her initial reaction was to take a half-step back, though she did look at the magic as he snuffed it out almost in a puff of smoke where none existed.  She knew of the elementalist abilities as she had been trained by one that knew them fairly well, but they were not her strong suit even if she could wield them to her advantage.  “I tend to work best in the Keeper arts which work more in conjunction with the shemlen phrases ‘eye for an eye’ and ‘survival of the fittest’.  But, again, you only strike thorns when you’re being aggressive.”  She was certain that she had heard someone say those phrases and that last comment somewhere before, but couldn’t quite place it.

Her face paled when he mentioned secrets.  She had her own fair share of them; one of which led her to his doorstep, in fact.  “I was not meaning to be intrusive, truly.  Sometimes my mouth runs away from my mind.  Your secrets are not meant for me, and if they are, you will choose to share them.  As a Keeper I do quite well with confidences, so if you’re ever in need.”  She shrugged her shoulders and left the offer hang in the air.  There was no need for him to accept or decline it at this point; it was there for if he ever needed it assuming their relationship didn’t end when she walked out the door.

“I do disagree, but I tend to sleep every night with the thought that someone is going to break in to my apartment in the alienage.  So, I’m somewhat biased as to where I believe the most dangerous part of the city lies.”  With downcast eyes she ran fingers through her hair grabbing onto one end and picking at the frayed ends absently.  She was certain that she would never feel entirely comfortable living in the alienage as she felt none of her neighbors were either.

She felt his gaze before she saw it.  It wasn’t judgmental but decisive as if seeing her the way Marethari looked at her sometimes with eyes she wasn’t quite sure how to use herself.  When he asked the question, her head leaned back in curiosity and her ears quirked up just a little from their laid back position, hardly noticeable.

“What kind of shielding are you meaning?  I was trained in the art of removing barriers from objects and placing wards, and the art of spirit shielding was touched on.  I have a bit of practice with guarding from objects, but I tend to lean more toward force magicks and natural… methods to thwart attacks rather than shields.  I do have the capability though, but you may need to take me through the steps.  I’m a fast learner.”  She quickly assured him.  Learning new knowledge and techniques was never an issue.  The talent and potential was there; combined with a good teacher, she could learn to do just about anything, she felt.

“The Dalish are not very forthcoming with much information until you befriend them.  It has caused a lot of our culture to be unknown of outside of the group.  I do not blame you for not knowing the regimen of a Keeper or a First.  In fact, I would be surprised if you had known.”  Her eyes wandered the small area they had gone too feeling a little claustrophobic but attempting not to show it.

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Searching for Arla [Merrill & Swiftrunner]

[the-heart-of-the-beast]

He felt his arm tense briefly —reflexively— when the keeper’s hand made contact with his skin, but forced himself to relax. His natural reaction to being touched after so long would do nothing but cause her further distress when it was clear she’d had more than her share already. Still, he could not help his discomfort, and was relieved when she withdrew her hand back to her mug. The arm she had been touching raised, the palm of that hand rubbing against the back of his neck.

"Honest, sure, but I don’t know that I’d say I been kind. Barkin’ orders at’cha an’ givin’ my opinion on things ain’t none’a my business ain’t exactly cordial behavior. Then again, seems like tha’way you been treated lately’s bad enough’ta make that look friendly." He stood and glanced down at her briefly before wandering back to his kitchen. "I’m sorry fer that. Fer what it’s worth."

"Ain’t my problems, yer right. But they’re problems I understand." He cleared his throat uncomfortably, rooting through his cabinets for a beer and popping it open against the counter top. "An’it seems like ya ain’t got no one else willin’ta listen. I can do that. Fer tonight. Jus’ don’t go gettin’ comfortable, Dalish. I ain’t offerin’ ya room an’ board."

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When she was open to it, she had the Keeper’s gift of observation.  Usually, she was too distracted in her own little world, but today she felt as if her world was this little room with the wolf-man inside.  She had felt the tension in his arms when her fingers had touched him; a side effect from his solitude she surmised.

“It’s not your fault,” she echoed his apology as if to make him feel better, which she knew from experience did nothing but waste words.  Savoring the warm brew upon her lips, she looked around the cabin.  Not much had changed from her first visit, nor had she expected it to.  The man that lived there was a creature of habit with need of few creature comforts.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the whirring noise as the cap spun around on the counter top from the opened bottle which snapped her head towards the kitchen.  Noises seemed to have her jumpy right this second as for all she knew Templars could be coming to retrieve her from the man’s door, and worse; she had no idea what Feninan would do.  It wasn’t his fight, and she wasn’t his problem he had made that clear to her.  Still, he gave off a sense of comfort she couldn’t quite shake or bring herself to leave.

“Thank you for your hospitality if only for a night.” She paused sucking in a breath before adding, “you are a good man.”  The words were honest and true, but she was still shaken and her nerves had caused her to slosh a bit of the tea onto the edge of the couch where she sat.  “Abelas, I’m so clumsy, is there something to wipe this up with?”  She didn’t even waste the energy lifting her head from the wet spot that was probably now soaked sufficiently into the arm that the rag would be useless if there was one.

“Tomorrow I’ll be out of your hair and back at my campsite.”  She assured him with her head still shaking slightly from side to side at herself.

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Mementos of the Past [Swiftrunner & Merrill]

[the-heart-of-the-beast]

"There ain’t a soul on this plane can say fer certain that never is an absolute." The wolf responded, eyes locking steadily to hers as he pressed home his point. No matter what her reasons for continuing to pursue it, no matter what precautions she believed herself to be taking, whatever she was toying with was clearly dangerous. And dangerous enough that those who cared for her most had chased her away to be rid of it. "I can bark to tha’moon for ages ‘bout how I ain’t never gonna be a beast again, an’I might not wanna, but I know —here—" he tapped at his chest in illustration, "that should tha’need arise I’m capable. Some things’re beyond our control, Dalish. If yer gonna keep walkin’ this path, best’cha accept what it is yer doin’. Pinnin’ a pretty label on a pile’a horse shit don’t make it any less foul."

He stood, choosing not to acknowledge either her thanks or the request for reciprocal action. Instead, he reached for his coat. “I can give’ya a ride back’ta wherever it is ya need’ta be —city, dig site. Don’t much matter. I don’t sleep much an’it seems kinda late’ta be goin’ back out in them woods. Never know what lurks ‘bout in’tha dark.”

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

She didn’t believe that for a second.  There was no force on earth that could cause her to use her magic as recklessly or as wrong as Zathrian had when he cursed an entire village to a fate they saw as worse than death, mindless animals. 

Could I?  Yes, of course I could come up with a curse to do something similar.  It would take something far worse…

Her eyes widened a moment as the thought led her to the place that Swiftrunner had gone already.  Since it was within her power, the temptation and the ability to do something just as Zathrian had in a moment of grief was not beyond her without a strong check and balance to keep her from doing it.  Her morals still screamed that she would never do something like that, but her head understood where the wolf was speaking from.

“I know what I’m doing,” she spoke weakly without much assurance behind the words.  “I don’t foresee myself stumbling down the same path, but I am not blind to the fact that my power could lead me in that direction should I be struck with a tragedy as Zathrian was.  Rage and grief are terrible things, sometimes.”  She swallowed back her emotions and looked up at the man that had given her food and shelter as he offered another courtesy.

“I was on my way back to the alienage tonight as I have class in the morning.  I could make my own way in the dark, but I would be grateful for a ride back into town.”  A long sigh pulled her up from the cushions she had been resting upon and brought her towards the door that she had tried to leave through more than one time already that night unsuccessfully.  There were other questions that came to her mind and tongue, but they were probably best unasked for the time being if she didn’t want to impose on the man any more than she had already.

“If you ever have need of a poultice or herbal treatment, you’ll know where to find me.  It’s the least I can offer in return.”  She stated as she stepped through the threshold and towards the ride that would bring her home.

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

Experimental Edge Cases [Merrill & Morrigan]

[witch-of-the-urban-wilds-blog]

Morrigan felt the other mage’s eyes on her as she spoke, feeling as though Merrill was looking for something and perhaps not quite finding it, though what, Morrigan could not have named.  Once, she caught the elf’s glance and quirked a dark eyebrow.

She simply shrugged at the rest of the discussion of Arlathan and the Golden City – that had always been something she considered more tangled in myth than was likely worth attempting to pick through.  She would recant that position in an instant if there appeared to be a reason to believe otherwise, but the witch had always despised attempting to rely on pseudohistorical records for anything.  Particularly anything that the Chantry had an opinion on.

The artifact, however, continued to interest her.  Flemeth had said to her more than once that the Dalish Keepers had more ancient power tucked away and half-forgotten than any of them truly knew what to do with.  This Arulin’Holm seemed likely to be such a thing.  “What is this artifact intended to do, other than glow?  I assume it has some ceremonial purpose, but if there is some sort of formalism about who is allowed to use it, it must have some practical use that is already known?”

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

When the woman latched onto the Arunlin’holm as the object of her questioning, Merrill retreated inside herself once more to gather her thoughts.  It wasn’t that she mistrusted Morrigan otherwise she would never have invited her to the campsite, but this was going a little deeper into Elvhen secrets than she liked.  She had gone as far as to bring the other to the campsite to see the Eluvian, however, so taking the next step and explaining the dagger was an easy decision.  Unfortunately, again, most of the usefulness of the dagger was hidden behind mythos. 

“Honestly, the dagger has not been used except in the crafting of artifacts for many ages.  The rest of the story is folklore of which you already seem to have a dislike for.”  Hesitating a glance up at the eerily green eyes once more, she inhaled sharply.  “It is said that it imbues magic into the creations that it makes and it one tool that can be used to craft items from ironbark.  Other legends believe it to be a magical key of some sort while others refer to it as a bringer of life.  Or at least that is the best translation.  It could also be understood as the repressor of death.”

Clearing her throat and casting her eyes back towards the fire, “But, as I have said, I’ve seen none of that personally nor do I believe the dagger to have been used for many ages.  I do not believe even Zathrian had witnessed its abilities and he’d been thought immortal for some time.  I just know that the artifact has been in the hands of the Sabrae clan since the fall of the Dales and has been restricted to the Keeper, the First and the Master Crafter as long as anyone can remember.”

Turning her gaze back towards the scattered fragments, she asked, “What is the next step on the fragment analysis?”

[liratabris-deactivated20140702]

Songs of Old [Merrill & Lira]

[liratabris-deactivated20140702]

Lira had a habit of watching people from afar; noticing the little things and details about them and mannerisms they have. More like deducing, actually. Nothing in particular, she did it just for fun. It was a creepy habit of hers, but she couldn’t seem to shake it away. 

As she took a sip from her bottle of beer, she diverted her attention to the woman who sat in the corner, her nose buried in a book and a lyre lying right beside her. She had jet black hair and warm green eyes. She must be the musician who plays here, she thought to herself. A woman stepped up to her and Lira guessed it was time for her to start playing again.

Lira closed her eyes as the elven woman stepped up to play another song on her lyre. The song she started to play was hauntingly beautiful and it reminded her of the kinds of songs her mother used to hum to her when she was little. They could be the same song, or something very similar. Either way, it made her feel nostalgic and somewhat sad.

Looking around the bar, she saw that no one was paying attention to the elven musician and it made her quite confused. It was like listening to an interesting story about war and the loss of an entire civilization. Maybe it was just her. 

As she finished her song, Lira couldn’t help but clap softly in her place. The people who sat next to her looked at her weirdly, as if she was crazy of something. She didn’t mind. 

Making her way through the crowd, she stepped up to the elven woman and gave her a sovereign. “That was beautiful,” she remarked.

[merrillvaskirkwall-blog]

It was not strange for her fingers to wander the string of the lyre as her mind daydreamed about other things.  On the other hand, it was strange that an elvhen faced woman would walk into the bar that she didn’t know either.  She had lived in the alienage for long enough to know everyone that lived there and the only tribe anywhere near was her own.  The strange face in this place was almost disturbing.

Was she clapping?  She thought as her eyes turned upwards towards the ceiling trying to remember if anyone had ever done that before with her.  The only time that came to memory was when she sang that bawdy song that was requested her that night from the pirate woman Isabela, which cause a smile to spread across her lips.

When the soft, yet confident voice reached her ears, she nearly startled from her chair at having missed her approach.  That was also nothing new to Merrill.  The daydreams tended to make her lose any sort of grasp she retained on her present circumstances and made her quite oblivious until you caught her attention.

The words had taken a minute to actually sink in, but when they did, a red tint colored her cheeks and she ducked her head.  “Thank you, it is an old song that I don’t play often, but it is what my fingers wanted to tell tonight.  Did you enjoy the story?”  Even if she was an exile now, her duties as First carried on spreading the lore of her people to any that wanted to hear and learn, and of course, to those that didn’t even know they were listening to it.

“I haven’t seen you around before, though I can’t say that that means much.  I keep to myself around the alienage.  Have you been here long?”  The hazel eyes searched the other woman’s before grazing over her features, noting the differences in shape or prominence in her cheeks and ears.  The markings that she bore were not those of the Dalish clans, but seemed more, if she remembered correctly, like the markings of the city clans.  Though, to call that out would be bad form.

There might be an opportunity to learn from this woman, and there was always an opportunity to share when meeting other Elvhen.  This perked her interest and had her fingers more interested in actually playing old songs again.  Perhaps soon there would be another song, but there was more to learn at the present.